Swans bury MCG hoodoo

Jarrad McVeigh, Mike Pyke and Jude Bolton ... It was only Sydney's second victory in their last 16 matches at the MCG – and their first in a playoff match at the home of football since the four-point triumph over West Coast in the 2005 grand final.
Photo: Getty

Sydney buried their MCG hoodoo in devastating style on Saturday, downing favoured Hawthorn by 10 points in an epic AFL grand final at the MCG.

Defender Nick Malceski kicked Sydney's first and last goals of the match – both of them with spectacular snaps.

But he was just one of many Swans heroes in the club's fifth premiership triumph.

Mike Pyke – the Canadian World Cup rugby player turned AFL ruckman – was among the most influential players on the ground, especially in the first half.

Co-captains Adam Goodes and Jarrad McVeigh – the former with his left knee heavily strapped – both led by example.

Daniel Hannebery – one of four old boys from famed Melbourne football school Xavier College in the Swans' premiership team – was skillful and courageous in equal measures.

And Ryan O'Keefe – one of four survivors from Sydney's previous premiership team in 2005 – was a popular winner of the Norm Smith Medal for best afield.

It was only Sydney's second victory in their last 16 matches at the MCG – and their first in a playoff match at the home of football since the four-point triumph over West Coast in the 2005 grand final.

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McVeigh and second-year coach John Longmire were presented with the premiership cup by triple Brownlow Medallist Bob Skilton, who provided another tangible link to the Swans' strong South Melbourne roots.

Several times in the last quarter, talismanic spearhead Lance Franklin threatened to win the game for the Hawks.

But his inaccuracy in front of goal – a return of 3.4 and one shot which flew out of bounds on the full – was symptomatic of his team, who had five more scoring shots than the victors but still lost 14.7 (91) to 11.15 (81) in a thriller played before a capacity crowd of 99,683.

The pre- and post-match entertainment hit all the right notes, with local favourites Paul Kelly, Tim Rogers and Temper Trap being much better received than last year's off-key effort from Meat Loaf.

The Swans became the first non-Victorian premiers since the Eagles lifted the cup in 2006.